Method and apparatus for dispersing materials



Sept. 5, 1939. A. G. GALLowAY l 2,172,001

METHOD AND APPRATUS FOR DISP-ER'SING MATERIALS yFiled Deo. 21. 1&)25'7l INVENT DR A- ,E EI ALL DWAY AT T DRNEY Patented Sept. 5, 1939 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOB DISPEBS- ING MATERIALS Alexander Gordon Galloway, Washington, D. C.; dedicated -to the free use of the People o1 the United States of America application necember 21, 1931, serial No. 180,996 I 2i claims. (ci. 43-120 (Granted under the act of amended April 30, 1928;

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended by the act of April 30, 1928, and the invention herein described andy payment to me of any royalty thereon.

I hereby dedicate the invention' herein described to the free use ofthe People of the United States of America to take effect on the granting of a patent to me.

This invention relates to a method for dispersing parasitical materials such as insecticides, fungicides, nemacides, germicides, and other materials in dust form, and an apparatus for accomplishing this dispersion.

The main object of this invention is to provide a method for more effectively dispersing such dust `materials over surfaces of foliage, battle elds,

soil; or on any other surface.

Another object of this invention a method of dispersing and applyingsaid materials which insures a. positive and permanent adherence tothe surface applied.

Still another 'object of this invention is to provide a method of dispersing and applying. said dust materials, which method embraces the separate but simultaneous release of said dust material with an adhesive and insures denite'relative proportions of the adhesive with the dust material.

A further object of this invention isto provide an apparatus for accomplishing the above-mentioned objects by means of a simple mechanism' adapted to vehicles, such as airplanes, autogyros, dirigibles, automobiles, boats or other types 'of air, land, or water vehicles, either stationary or while in motion.

A still further object of this invention is toprovlde an apparatus adapted for use on such vehicles which is synchronized to effect a uniiorm control of dispersion in relation tothe velocity of the vehicle and the coverage desired.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the type mentioned which will effect a union of particles of dust and of adhesive so that positive 'adherence of the dust will occur when it contacts any surface or object. is particularly useful for rapidly spreading dust insecticides with adhesives over large areas. f

Heretofore, in the application of insecticides with stickers it has-been found necessary to mix the vingredients before dispersion. AThe object to this pramce is the cinema' 0f naintaian 1mi is to provide l March 3, 1883, as 370 0. G. '(57) form dispersion of material from any apparatus without clogging its parts resulting in an inevitable mitigation of eillclency. Another objec tion is thatat present there are no known adhesives which can be added to insecticides, fungicides, lnemacides, and germicides in dust form prior to dispersion, which will insure complete and -satisfactory adherence of the material. Theseobjections are obviated in the present invention by mixing the ingredients exteriorly to the apparatus and also in such a manner that a high numerical percentage of the particles of adhesive unite with the particles of clustl released.

The following description, considered together with the accompanying drawing, will more fully 15 disclose this invention and further objects-and advantages thereof will be apparent.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of this invention in one ofits forms for use on air vehicles. 0

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 1 along' the line 2-2, showing adaption to the frame members of an autogyro fuselage.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of Figure 1 along the line 3 3 in Figure 2. 25

Figure 4 is a plan View of the dispersing tube.

Figure 5 is a phantom side'view of a portion of the dispersing tube showing a modification of the delivery terminal of the tube hereinafter designated by the numeral 38. 30

Referring with more particularity to the `drawing in which like numerals designate like parts, the numeral 5 designates a hopper of any desired shape for installation in a vehicle. in the drawing vthe vehicle shown is an autogyro and the hopper is shown within and attached to frame members of its fuselage 6, 6. lAt the bottom of said hopper, a delivery throat 1 is secured to the feed unit 8. A continuous flight conveyor screw ,The said conveyor screws are mounted in tubular troughs 20 and 2| securedtogether along the line 22. These troughs are made communicable throughv openings 23 and 2l. The trough 20 has its top portlon'partially open' at 25 to permit Within the spinner tube 30 entrance of dust material from the hopper, and the trough 2| has an opening 26 to provide means for discharging the dust material out of the said device onto a slide valve 21, `substantially as shown.

A dispersing housing of said slide' valve tube 28 is secured to the bottom 21 by any suitable means so that material passing through said terior walls. 'The purpose of the angular attachment of the Iair scoops l29, 28 is for imparting a rotary and Yprogressive motion to the air intro duced by them into the dispersing tube 28. 'This motion of the air within said tube is desirable for the purpose of thoroughly andl uniformly entraining the dust in its rearward travel through the dispersing tube 28. A hollow tube/30 extends axially through the tube 28 and is rotatably mounted in bearings 3| suitable number of bearings may be used. Bearings such as the bearing 32Vare supported by spiders such as 32a.' At the terminal of said tube 30 inside the dispersing tube 28, a trun` cated cone 33 is secured at its smaller end. A disc 34, beingsomewhat smaller in circumference than the larger base of the truncated cone 33, is coaxially mounted on said cone by means oi adjustable studs and nuts 35, 35. The tube 28`carries a bell flange 36, the length of which is such that it terminates slightly forward of the disc 34. 'I'he forward end of said tube- 30 has keyed to it a Agrooved pulley 31.

Alstationary tube 38 is longitudinally disposed and extends a short distance within the cone 33. This extension may terminate in a plurality of openings, such as the nipple 50'in Figure v5. This tube 38 may be appreciably smaller in diameter than the inside diameter of the tube 30, since no seal is necessary between these two elements. Bearings 39, 3 9, 39 are utilized to minimize friction between nested with a reservoir 4|. The Dump I4I) is driven by the shaft 42 connected directly'to a power take-off of a motor 43. Said pump 48 adjustment for volume delivery under constant load conditions. The motor 43 is belted to the pulley ISand pulley 31 in such a ratio of gearing that the pulley I9 is rotated at a speed less than that of the prime mover andthe pulley 31 rotates at a speed in excessof that of the prime mover. These ratios are further proportioned so that pulley I9 is 'operated at a rotational speed to deliver the proper amount of dust material to the dispersing tube 28.

A valve 44 is disposed in either the discharge or the supply line of the pump 40 (the drawing shows the valve in the delivery side), and it is actuated concurrently with the slide valve 21 by means ofllinks 41, This arrangement provides simultaneous control for the release ofthe impounded dust and adhesive.

The operation of this Material in dustY form vis terial invention is as follows: placed in hopper 5. Ma-

placed in reservoir 4|.

To prevent discharge of and 32, but any other 48 and 49, and a. lever 45.

these substances from their respective containers, slide valve 21 and control valve 44 remain ir. aclosed position. To operate the apparatus, the `motor 43 is started. This function results in the rotationof conveyor screws 9 and |2 in opposite directions. At the same time the positive feed pump 48, which is directly connected to the the conveyor screws and the pump, the tube 30 is rotatably actuated, to-

-gether with cone 33 and disc 34. With the appathe respective end of the conveyor screw I2. Consequently, it is advanced toward the discharge opening immediately'above the slide valve 21, thence through valve 21 into the dispersing tube 28. As soon as the dust falls into said dispersing tube, the air stream, introduced into the tube by means of the air scoops 28, 29, imparts a spiral revolution to the dust and advances it toward the opening in the other end of the tube between the ange 38 and the lateral exterior surface of the cone 33. vThe shape of the bell iiange 36 determines the angle with which the dust leaves the tubev 28 at any given speed. At the same time the pump 40 delivers the adhesive material in the reservoir 4| through the stationary tube 38 releasing it at its terminal within the cone 33. The force of material is such that it impinges upon the plate I liquid material toward the periphery of said should be adjusted to such a position that when the adhesive material leaves it, it will impinge upon the cone 33 as close as possible to its outer edge. With this arrangement, the dust and the adhesive emitted will both be in the 'form of a whirling cone. However, the cone oi the dust -material will have a smaller apex angle than the cone of the adhesive material, and consequently, the adhesive material will intersect the cone of the dust material in a plane at a considerable distance away from the apparatus, such distance depending upon the velocity of the air stream flowing through and around the dispersion tube 28.

'I'he adhesive material striking plate 34 is thrown out by centrifugal'force toits periphery.

Due to the high peripheral speed of disc 34, the adhesive at that point is broken up into droplets. Leaving the periphery, these droplets strike the inside of the cone 33, the peripheral velocity oi' which is greater than the peripheral velocity of plate 34, and accordingly these droplets undergo an acceleration which causes a further breaking up'A into still smaller droplets. Also, when these adhesive, said conical stream of adhesive having a larger apex angle than said conical air stream.

13. A device for dispersing and coating dustv particles with an adhesive therefor, said device comprising means for uniformly entraining particles of dust in an external turbulent conical air stream and means for intersecting .said conical air stream with a turbulent conical transverse stream of adhesive, said conical stream of adhe'- sive having a larger apex angle than said 4conical air stream.

14. A device for dispersing and coating dust* particles with an adhesive therefor, said device comprising means for 'niformly entraining particles' of dust in an external conical air stream, a hollow truncated cone rotatably mounted in the path of said air stream, a disc ilxedly mounted on the exteriorof said one substantially coincident with and smaller than the'larger base of said cone, and means for impinging a stream of liquid against the inner face of said disc when rotating. Y

15. A devicefor dispersing and coating dust particles with. an adhesive therefor, said device comprising' means for uniformlyv entraining particles of dust in an-external conical air stream,- a hollow truncated cone rotatably mounted in the path of said air stream, a disc xedly mounted on the exterior of said cone substantially coinident with and'smaller than the larger base of said cone, and means for controllably impinging a stream of liquid adhesive against the inner face of said disc when rotating.

16. A device adapted to be mounted in an air vehicle for dispersing dust particles and an adhesive therefor, said device comprising a dust hop-X per, a continuous ilight conveyor screw horizontally mounted inthe delivery throat of said hopper, another flight conveyor screw mounted parallel and directly below, said rst mentioned conveyor screw'being rotatably mounted in com'- municating tubular troughs, gears keyed to exte'nded shafts of said conveyor screws, said gears being maintained in constant mesh, means for discharging matter from the lower conveyor screw to a longitudinal dispersing tube, air vents tangentially disposed on said dispersingtube in the general direction of travelof the air vehicle, a hollow tube rotatably mounted axially within said dispersing tube, a truncated cone having its truncated end secured to theend of said hollow tube on the interior of said dispersing tube, a disc adjustably mounted on the exterior of said cne, substantially coincident with and smaller than the larger base thereof, a stationary tube fixedly mounted within said rotatably mounted'hollow tube and extending within said cone between its apex and` said disc, means for forcing a liquid adhesive through said stationary tube, and means for directing a continuous volume of air through said air vents. f

17. The method of dispersing parasltical dust versely to said stream.

- regulating the quantity'ofdust material intro source to said -valved opening, means/for uniJ stream, means for discharging the said stream through said hollow tubeand' means for rotating 60 particles with an adhesive, said method consist ing of substantiallyrotating and coating particle of dust with particles of the adhesive. 18. A device for dispersing and coating dus particles with an adhesive comprising a, dispers ing tube, means for producing an' air streau through said tube, means for introducing dus material intov said dispersing tube, means fo' regulating the quantity of dust material introduced in said dispersing tube, means for uniformly entraining the dust material in said air stream, means for discharging the stream conically, a source of liquid adhesive forsaid dust material, and means for discharging said adhesive trans- 19. A device for dispersing and coating dust particles with an adhesive, comprising a dispersing tube, means for producing an air stream' through said tube, means for introducing dust material, into vsaid dispersing tube, means for duced in said dispersing tube, `mean s for uniformly entraining the dust material in said air stream, means for discharging the stream conically, a 4source of 'liquid adhesive for said dust material, means for discharging said adhesive in a cone transverse to said stream, and means for quantitatively regulating the discharge of adhe. sive. f

20. A device for. dispersing and coating dust particles with an adhesive, comprising a dispersing tube, means for producing an air streamI through said tube, a source of dust material, a valved opening in said dispersing tube, means, in' cluding ilight conveyor screws, for feeding and regulating the delivery o f dust material from said formly entraining the dust delivered to said dispersing tube in the air stream therethrough, means for discharging -said stream conically, a source of adhesive, and means for discharging said adhesive in a con`e transverse. to Said air stream. l

21. A devicefor dispersing and coating dust: particles with an adhesive, comprising -a dispers- A ing tube, means forproducing an air stream` through said tube, means for introducing dustv material into said kdispersing tube, means for regulating the quantity of dust material introduced in said dispersing tube, means'for uniformly entraining the dust material in said air 5T conically, a source' of liquid adhesive for said dust material, a hollow tube rotatably mounted longitudinally within said dispersing tube, a truncated cone having its narrow end secured to the end of said hollow tube, a disc secured to said cone perpendicular to its axis, means for controllably forcing material from -said source of liquid said disc.

. A. GORDON GALLOWAY.

roplets of the adhesive leave the cone 33. they re further reduced in size by atomization.

At the point of intersection of the cone of the dhesive and the cone of the dust particles, both aterals are in the form oi iinely divided partiles, the dust bein entralned in a cloud oi' uniform density, and the adhesive material being in an tomized form. Also the particles are very small, o larger than what is necessary for one particle f adhesive to coat itself about one particle of ust. Ideally, the number of dust particles and he number of adhesive particles dispersed over a period of time should be equal. The theory of this coating process is that each particle of adesive upon lcontact with a dust particle intercepts and draws this dust particle within it due to age of mixture takes place at the point oi intersection of the two cones. However, the emciency oi union Iis not 100 per cent at this point.y and some oi the particles are bound to escape a union here. However, due to the turbulent effect of both cones, union may take place at points further removed from the apparatus than this plane of intersection, and, as a matter oi fact, could even take place upon contact with the surface to which the material is being applied. It is desirable to use an adhesive of such density that the atomiaed particles upon dispersion are of the same weight as the dust particles and no larger than what is necessary for one particle of adhesiveto coati'tself about one particle of dust. The size of the adhesive particles may be regulated by controlling the ow of adhesive by adjustment fit on the -pump dt, by changing the rotational speed of the cone 33 and disc 3d, or both.

'Ihe purposes of the two conveyor screws are,

the dust material from opening E through slide valve 2 to dispersing tube't, and second, to furnish an arrangement whereby the dust material can be satisfactorily prevented from packing when slide valve 2 is closed. In accomplishing this, the dust material, when conveyed by screw i2 past the opening leading to slide valve 2l, is moved to the endof said screw i2, hence up to screw 9, which delivers the dust again to screw I2, thus providing a circulating path for the dust material. A third ,purpose of these conveyor screws is to Provide for vibration to prevent packing of the dust in the bottom of hopper t.

Should it be desired to use this apparatus in a stationary position as dierentiated from use on a vehicle moving through the air scoops Re, 2Q may be substituted with other suitable means for forcing air into the dispersion. tube Ed. Such means may consist of a compressed air pump blower fan, or other means.

While this invention has been described as taking a particular form for the purpose oi' illustration, it is not to be assumed thatother forms may not be used by changing the form and shape of the materials used within the scope of the appended claims. y

Having thus described my invention, I claim: i. The method of dispersing and coating particles of dust with an adhesive, said method consisting of entraining individual particles of said dust in an external air stream and intersecting said dust particles with particles in another air stream, said last mentioned particles consisting of the adhesive in finely divided form.

2. The method oi' dispersing and coating dust with an adhesive, said method consisting of entraining particles or. said dust in an external coniarrasar its great surface tension. The maximum percentrst, to provide for positive control of feedingv cal air stream and intersecting thel dust particles in said air stream with particles ina transverse stream, said last mentioned particles consisting of the adhesive in a inely divided form.

3. The method oi dispersing and coating dust with an adhesive, said method consisting of entraining particles of said dust in an external conical air` stream and intersecting the dust particles in said air stream with particles of the adhesive entrained in a nely divided form in a transverse conical stream, said conical stream of radhesive having a larger apen angle than said conical air stream.

fi. The methd oi dispersing and coating dust with an adhesive therefor, said method consisting of entraining particles of dust in an external conicai air stream and intersecting said air` stream with a transverse conical stream oi the adhesive in a nely divided form, said conical stream of 'adhesive having a larger apex angle than said conical air stream.

5. The method of dispersing and coating dust with an adhesive therefor, said method consisting of entralning particles oi said dust in an external f turbulent conical air stream and intersecting the dust particles in said air stream with a transverse turbulent stream of the adhesive in finely divided `torni.

6. The method of dispersing and coating dust with an adhesive therefor, said method consisting of intercepting air-entrained particles of the dust with air-entrained particles oi the adhes ve.

with an adhesive therefor, saidmethod consisting of intercepting entrained particles of said dust in an external rotating conical air stream with particles of the adhesive entrained in a transverse rotating conical air stream.

8. A device for dispersing and coating dust particles with an adhesive therefor, said device comprising a dispersing tube horizontally mounted, means for creating a flow-stream of air in said dmpersing tube, meansfor controllably introducing the dust into said now-stream and discharging it conically from said dispersing tube, and

7. The method of dispersing and coating dust" means for intersecting the particles in said owstream with a transverse conical stream of nely divided adhesive.

9. A device for dispersing and coating dust particles with and adhesive therefor, said device comprising means for entraining particles of dust' in an external conical air stream, and'means for intersecting the particles in said conical air stream with a transverse conical stream of the adhesive. 10. A device for dispel-'sing and coating dust particles with an adhesive therefor, said device comprising means for uniformly entrainingparticles-of dust in an external conical air stream, and means for intersecting said conical air stream with a transverse conical stream of adhesive.

r 'ILA devicefor' dispersingand coating dust particles with an adhesive therefor, said device stream and means for intersecting said conical` air streamv with a transverse conical stream of 7g 

